The document outlines the standard procedures for table service in a restaurant. It describes the 10 main steps as: 1) greeting the guest, 2) escorting to the table, 3) presenting the menu, 4) taking the order, 5) serving food and drinks, 6) clearing plates, 7) presenting the dessert menu, 8) serving dessert and coffee, 9) presenting the bill, and 10) saying goodbye. It then provides more details on specific tasks within each step, such as opening napkins, serving water, bread service, taking orders, and billing. The overall goal is to provide efficient and friendly service to guests throughout their dining experience.

1. CHAPTER 7
FOOD SERVICE
PROCEDURES
BY: MAHALIA C. MOLIN

2. Food service procedure
Table service procedure can vary depending on the
type of establishment and level of service, but
generally includes the following steps:
1. Greet the guest: As soon as the guest arrives,
approach them with a friendly smile and welcome
them to the establishment.

3. Food service procedure
2. Escort to the table: Show the guest to their table
and assist with seating, offering to hang up coats or
jackets if necessary.
3. Present menu: Once the guest is seated, present
the menu to them and ask if they have any
questions or require recommendations. Be sure to
point out any specials or promotions.

4. Food service procedure
4.Take order: Once the guest is ready to order, take
their order promptly and accurately. Repeat the
order back to the guest to ensure accuracy and
avoid mistakes.
5. Serve food and drinks: Once the order is placed,
serve the food and drinks promptly and correctly.
Be sure to ask if everything is to the guest's liking
and address any issues promptly.

5. Food service procedure
6. Clear plates: Once the guest has finished their
meal, clear the plates and cutlery from the table,
asking if the guest would like anything else before
presenting the dessert menu.
7. Present dessert menu: Offer the dessert menu to
the guest and provide recommendations if
necessary

6. Food service procedure
8. Serve dessert and coffee: Once the guest has
chosen their dessert, serve it promptly along with
coffee or tea. Again, ask if everything is to the
guest's liking and address any issues promptly.
9. Present bill: Once the guest is ready to leave,
present the bill promptly and accurately. Offer to
assist with payment and provide change or process
payment promptly.

7. Food service procedure
10. Say goodbye: Thank the guest for their visit and
invite them to return soon. Offer to assist with any
additional needs such as a coat or taxi service.

8. GREETING GUESTS
• First impressions are extremely important. If the greeting is both
warm and efficient guests will immediately feel that they can expect
the rest of their experience to be pleasurable, feel confident that they
will be in the hands of reliable professionals.
• The service begin with greeting the guests.
TASK PROCEDURES EXPRESSIONS
WELCOMING THE
GUEST
 With a smile, approach the guest as they reach the restaurant
entrance.
"Good evening sir, madam.
Welcome to Flamingo Café!"
CHECKING FOR
RESERVATION
 Ask the guest whether he / she have made a reservation.
 Check the reservation book.
 If the reservation has been made, note the host’s name and
check for which table that has been reserved for the guest.
 Make sure that the number in the reservation book is circled.
 Make sure the time that the guest arrived is recorded.
 If no table has been booked/reserved, check that one is
available.
"Do you have a reservation,
sir/madam?"

9. SEATING GUESTS
TASK PROCEDURES EXPRESSIONS
USHERING THE
GUEST
 Lead the guest with an open palm gesturing
to the general direction of their table.
 Walk one arm's length in front of the guests.
 Upon reaching the table, ask the guest for
their satisfaction.
"This way, please." Or "Would you
be kind enough to follow me,
please?"
"Is this table fine with you, sir?"
SEATING THE GUEST  Always assist the ladies with their chair when
seating the guests.
“Allow me, madam”

10. OPENING NAPKINS
• Opening the napkins for your guests ensures that the napkin is out of
the way when drinks and food are to be served.
• Some guests will open their own napkins as soon as they sit down,
others will wait for you to open theirs for them.
TASK PROCEDURES EXPRESSIONS
PRESENTING
YOURSELF
 Greet the guest by first introducing yourself “Good evening, madam and sir.
Welcome to Flamingo Café. My
name is ….. and I’ll be serving
your table for this evening.”
OPENING NAPKIN • Standing to the right of the guest, pick up the
napkin with your right hand.
• Shake the napkin from its fold into a triangle.
• Place it across the guest’s lap with the longest
side of the triangle closest to the guest.
• Move anti-clockwise around the table opening
the napkins, opening the host’s last.
“Excuse me sir/madam, may i…?”

12. WATER SERVICE
• Iced/warm water may be offered to the guest after the
greeting/seating procedures. The purpose of serving iced water is to
refresh the guests’ palates, and allow them time to select a pre-
dinner drink.
TASK PROCEDURES EXPRESSIONS
SERVING THE
WATER
• The water glass/goblet is positioned to the
right of the wine glass above the table knife.
• Water is poured from the guest’s right.
• Move anti-clockwise round the table pouring
the water, serving the host last.
• Continue to offer water throughout the meal,
as required.
”Excuse me sir/madam, would
you like to have warm water or
iced water?”

13. BREAD SERVICE
• Bread is usually served as soon as the guests are seated. It may be
placed in a basket on the table, or served individually (silver service).
PROCEDURES
The silver service technique:-
• Carry the bread basket and butter plate in the left hand, using the two-plate
method.
• Place the butter plate in the centre of the table.
• Transfer the bread basket to the flat of the left hand.
• Serve from the guest’s left.
• Hold the left hand (with the bread basket) down over the edge of the side plate.
• Transfer the bread from the basket to the side plate, using service cutlery.
• Move anti-clockwise around the table, serving the host last.

14. SERVING APERITIFS
• Aperitif (pre-dinner drink) orders should be taken as soon as possible after guests
have been seated.
 Offer the cocktail/mocktail list, or suggest a variety of the beverages available.
 Assist the guests in making their selections by explaining what is in the various cocktails
and what they are like.
 Guests will not want alcoholic drinks at this stage, especially if they are driving, be
prepared to suggest non-alcoholic alternatives.
 Record the orders in sequence round the table, anti-clockwise.
 Note any special requirements and place the order with the bar.
PROCEDURES
• Arrange the drinks in on a drinks tray.
• Carry the drinks to the table on the drinks tray.
• Hold the tray on the left hand away from the table.
• Aperitif is served from the guest’s right.
• Serve the drinks in sequence around the table anti-clockwise, serving the host last.
• Place each drink to the right of the guest’s wine glass/goblet

15. PRESENTING THE MENU
• Presenting the menu is a time for suggestive selling. The waiter has
the opportunity actively to sell items on the menu, and ‘specials’ and
side dishes which may not be on it. Before presenting the menu, you
must understand all the items on it and be able to describe how they
are cooked and served.
PROCEDURES EXPRESSIONS
• Carry the menu of the flat of the left arm.
• Open the menu from the top with the right hand.
• Present the menu to the guest’s right.
• When all the guests have received a copy of the
menu, suggest items which do not appear in the
menu or any variations to the menu items.
• Inform the guest that you will be back shortly to
take their order.
• Move anti-clockwise, ladies first
• “This our menu,
sir/madam.”
• “I’ll be back shortly to
take your order.”

16. ORDER TAKING
• To ensure prompt service and fulfillment of the guests’ orders, the waiter must record all the
necessary information, so that there is no doubt which guest ordered what. Some
establishments have pre-printed forms which simply have to be ticked. Often the waiter will
have to use a blank docket. The way the order is taken must serve three functions. It must be
clear to the kitchen what dishes are to be prepared. The waiter must be able to see which dish
is to be served to which customer. And when the bill is prepared it must be clear what has been
ordered and consumed.
PROCEDURES EXPRESSIONS
• Ensure the guests are ready to order.
• Take the order of the guest on the right of the host first, and
work anti-clockwise round the table, finishing with the host’s
order.
• Take the order, up to and including the main course.
• Note any special requirements.
• Repeat the order to the guests to make sure that the order is
correct.
• Transfer the order to the kitchen docket, including the special
instructions.
• Record the sale, for billing purposes, following the house
control system.
• Place the order with the kitchen.
• “May I take your order
now?”
• “May I recommend our
Salad Nicoise as your
starter?” or “How about our
Salad Nicoise to start?”
• “May I repeat your
order……..”

17. SERVING & CLEARING
TASK PROCEDURES EXPRESSIONS
SERVING THE
STARTER
 Double-check the setting before bringing out the food.
 When the food is ready, check the plate and the food is properly
garnished.
 Make sure that cold food is cold and hot food is hot.
 Ensure that the correct food is served to the correct cover number
and table number and always to the ladies first.
 Bend slightly forward and place the food in the correct position gently
on the table. Never allow the sides of the chinaware to jut out
 Announce the food served
 Wish the guest a pleasant meal
 Move anti-clockwise, ladies first
“Madam, this is your Smoked
Trout”
“Enjoy your meal”
CLEARING THE
STARTER
 Ensure that all at the table have finished their meal.
 Clear the plate from the right hand side with an open palm
 Ask the guest how the food was.
 Clear the relevant cutleries together with the starter.
 Move anti-clockwise, ladies first
" May I, Sir/Madam?”
“How was your starter /
appetizer madam?”

18. TASK PROCEDURES EXPRESSIONS
SERVING THE MAIN
COURSE
 Before serving, check and replenish the bread
& butter and beverage
 Follow the same points as in serving the starter
 When placing the main course plate, the
standard is the starch and vegetable always on
the top and the meat or fish items at the
bottom, or the herb garnish to always face the
guest
 Move anti-clockwise, ladies first
CLEARING THE
MAIN COURSE
 Follow the same points as in clearing the
starter
 To come back with a tray to clear the B&B
plate, butter spreader, salt and pepper set and
the bread & butter.
 Move anti-clockwise, ladies first

19. TASK PROCEDURES EXPRESSIONS
CRUMBING DOWN  Crumb the table with crumbing pan and brush from
the left side of the guest
 Make sure that the table is free from any bread
crumbs
 Move anti-clockwise
“Madam/Sir, may I?”
SETTING THE
DESSERT CUTLERY
 Using a tray, set the appropriate cutlery for dessert.
 Pick up the table cutlery first before setting the correct
cutlery
 Move anti- clockwise, ladies first
SERVING THE
DESSERT
 Follow the same points as in serving the starter
 Move anti-clockwise, ladies first
CLEARING THE
DESSERT AND
SERVING COFFEE
OR TEA
 Set the coffee cup and saucer on the right of the guest
 Place sugar bowl on the center of the table
 Pour the coffee or tea until ¾ of the cups
 Clear dessert covers if the guest have finished
 Ask the guest about the dessert
 Move anti-clockwise, ladies first
“Sir/Madam, May I
clear your dessert?”
“How was your
dessert?”

20. TASK PROCEDURES EXPRESSIONS
BILLING  Present the bill upon the host's request
 To check through the bill thoroughly ensuring that all the
correct items are properly entered.
 Present the bill in a bill folder together with a pen
 If the bill is settled with cash, ensure that the correct
amount is given by counter checking the amount in front
of the guest. Return the right amount of change.
 If the guest pays by credit card, ensure that the
signature is the same and the card is not counterfeit.
 After the transaction, thank the guest for their patronage
“Your bill, Sir”
“Thank you for coming.”
DEPARTURE OF
GUEST
 Be courteous, pull the chair once the guest is about to
leave
 Lead the guests to the entrance
 Thank the guests for patronizing the restaurant
 Wish the guest good night while escorting them to the
exit.
“Thank you again for coming
and we hope to see you soon”